Grades: Creating Grade Items

Numeric grade items

Grade users by assigning a value out of a specified total number of points. Numeric grade items are the only type of grade item that you can associate with course objects such as discussions, quizzes, and Assignment submission folders.

  1. On the navbar, click Evaluation and select Grades.
  2. On the Manage Grades page, from the New button, click Item.
  3. Click Numeric.
  4. In the General area, enter your grade item details.
  5. In the Grading area, enter the maximum points and weight for the grade item.
  6. Do any of the following:
    • If you want users' grades to be able to exceed the maximum points specified for the item, select the Can Exceed check box.
    • If you want the grade item to be a bonus, select the Bonus check box.
    • From the Grade Scheme drop-down list, select a grading scheme for your grade item.
    • To attach a rubric to the grade item, click Add Rubric.
  7. In the Display Options area, select how you want the Learner View and Managing View for the grade item to appear.
  8. Click Save and Close.

Calculated grade items

You can use a calculated grade item to display a user's cumulative achievement across multiple grade items. Unlike the calculated final grade, calculated grade items do not recognize grade category settings of the grade items they evaluate, such as exclusion or distribution options. They cannot belong to a category and they cannot contribute to the calculated final grade. Note that you cannot associate calculated grade items with course objects such as discussions, quizzes, and assignment submission folders. Only numeric grade items can be associated with course objects.

  1. On the navbar, click  Evaluation and select Grades.
  2. On the Manage Grades page, from the New button, click Item.
  3. Click Calculated.
  4. In the General area, enter your grade item details.
  5. In the Grading area, do any of the following:
    • If you want users' grades to be able to exceed the maximum points specified for the item, select the Can Exceed check box.
    • From the Grade Scheme drop-down list, select a grading scheme for your grade item.
    • In the Grade Item to Include list, select any grade items you want to include in the calculated grade item.
    • Select your calculation method (not available when using a Points grading system).
    • To attach a rubric to the grade item, click Add Rubric.
  6. In the Display Options area, select how you want the Learner View and Managing View for the grade item to appear.
  7. To associate a learning objective with the grade item, click the Objectives tab, and then Associate Learning Objectives.
  8. Click Save and Close.

Text grade items

Use text grade items to provide comments that are not counted towards users’ final grades. Text grade items cannot belong to a category and they do not contribute to the calculated final grade. Note that you cannot associate text grade items with course objects such as discussions, quizzes, and assignment submission folders. Only numeric grade items can be associated with course objects.

  1. On the navbar, click Evaluation and select Grades.
  2. On the Manage Grades page, from the New button, click Item.
  3. Click Text.
  4. In the General area, enter your grade item details.
  5. To attach a rubric to the grade item, in the Grading area, click Add Rubric.
  6. In the Display Options area, select how you want the Managing View for the grade item to appear.
  7. Click Save and Close.

Pass/fail grade items

You can grade users using a simple pass/fail grade scheme. Note that you cannot associate calculated grade items with course objects such as discussions, quizzes, and assignment submissions folders. Only numeric grade items can be associated with course objects.

  1. On the navbar, click Evaluation and select Grades.
  2. On the Manage Grades page, from the New button, click Item.
  3. Click Pass/Fail.
  4. In the General area, enter your grade item details.
  5. In the Grading area, enter the Maximum Points and Weight for the grade item.
  6. Do any of the following:
    • If you want the grade item to be a bonus, select the Bonus check box.
    • From the Grade Scheme drop-down list, select a grading scheme for your grade item.
    • To attach a rubric to the grade item, click Add Rubric.
  7. In the Display Options area, select how you want the Learner View and Managing View for the grade item to appear.
  8. Click Save and Close.

Formula grade items

Use formula grade items to automatically grade users using a custom formula based on achievements in other grade items.

The following limitations apply to formula grade items: Formula grade items cannot belong to a category; you must create all of the grade items you want to include in the formula grade item before you create the formula item; and Formula grade items do not contribute to the calculated final grade in a points-based or weighted-based grade book. You can only calculate the final grade with formula grade items using the Formula grading system.

Note that you cannot associate formula grade items with course objects such as discussions, quizzes, and assignment submission folders. Only numeric grade items can be associated with course objects.

  1. On the navbar, click Evaluation and select Grades.
  2. On the Manage Grades page, from the New button, click Item > Formula.
  3. In the General area, enter your grade item details.
  4. In the Grading area, enter the Maximum Points for the grade item. Then, do any of the following:
    • To define the formula for your grade item, click the Edit Using the Formula Editor link. In the Formula Editor window, enter your formula and click Insert.
    • If you want users' grades to be able to exceed the maximum points specified for the item, select the Can Exceed check box.
    • From the Grade Scheme drop-down list, select a grading scheme for your grade item.
    • To attach a rubric to the grade item, click Add Rubric.
  5. In the Display Options area, select how you want the Learner View and Managing View for the grade item to appear.
  6. To associate a learning objective with the grade item, click the Objectives tab, and then Associate Learning Objectives.
  7. Click Save and Close.

Create a Grade Item Video Tutorial

Watch this quick two minute video tutorial which walks you through setting up a grade item in your grade book.

Print Article